


And the Sun Will Shine on Us Again

by hatshepslut



Series: Birds of a Feather [2]
Category: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Arranged Marriage, Assassination Attempt(s), F/M, Footnotes, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love Triangles, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Spoiler Warning: Book 4 (The Necromancer)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27082822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatshepslut/pseuds/hatshepslut
Summary: "Let me guess", the Sun Disk wondered and tilted his head to the side, just like he always does when questioning the other Elder's poor life choices, "You threatened these unfortunate Humani with a gruesome death if I would not make it.""Obviously", the Feathered Serpent confirmed deadpan.
Relationships: Akhenaten/Nefertiti (Ancient History), Aten/Quetzalcoatl (Nicholas Flamel)
Series: Birds of a Feather [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973989
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	And the Sun Will Shine on Us Again

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is part of an ungoing project which will be updated every now and then. The short stories are only loosely connected to each other, so you do not have to read them in any particular order.
> 
> A special thanks goes out to the members of the SINF Discord.

**ca. 1342 BC, Akhetaten¹**

The sun rose from the horizon like a mirror of polished gold, basking the vast lands below in the soft glow of the dawn's first light. Usually this event would mark the beginning of a new day - a disgustingly hopeful notion of the Humani - but he could not help but fret that it announced the imminent end of a deadline instead this morning.

Involuntarily Quetzalcoatl's grip tightened around the hand which he has held clasped in his own for quite a while now. He has been sitting here like this all night long, waiting for the other Elder to finally regain consciousness; _if_ he ever did. Even though he would never admit this freely, there have been many instances in his long life in which he had been afraid, sometimes even frightened, but he could not recall a time he has ever been induced with such a specific kind of fear. The Feathered Serpent was not scared. 

He was _terrified_.

It was almost ironic how this situation mirrored the first time they had met, but their roles had been switched back then. If Quetzalcoatl could take the other Elder's place right now, he would without hesitating for a second. He owed him his life and in way they would be even then. However, fulfilling a debt was surely not what was driving him forward in the first place. He simply preferred dying to having to see Aten do so, but of course things were not as easy as that. 

You never get what you wish for after all.

The scenes of the previous evening kept replaying in front of the Feathered Serpent's inner eye, making him wonder whether he could have done anything to prevent this from happening, but he did not come to a satisfactory conclusion. Only of one thing he was quite certain: He would probably never forget Aten's expression of utter shock and disbelief when he collapsed on the floor.

"I should have guessed that I would find _you_ here as well."

Instantly a long, exaggerated sigh escaped Quetzalcoatl's mouth at the sound of this familiar voice, forcing him to reluctantly let go of the other Elder's hand again. Pulling a wry face, he turned his head towards the now open door of the royal bedchamber. "If you are responsible for this, then-", he snarled, his voice low and menacing as he pressed each word through his bared teeth.

"Then you will do _what_?", Nefertiti² interrupted the Feathered Serpent indifferently and wrinkled her nose at him in cold disdain. Her young son³, whom she carried along with her in a silken baby blanket, immediately started shifting nervously in her arms, almost as if the infant could feel the tension suddenly rise inside the room. "I am still queen consort of this country. Do not make me remind you of your place", she scoffed dismissively, her mouth curving into a delicate smirk.

Slowly Quetzalcoatl rose from his seat at Aten's bedside, building himself up to his full size in front of her. Nefertiti only arched an eyebrow in reply, visibly unimpressed. Perhaps this would have got across more threateningly, if she had not been almost a head taller than him. 

"Climb down from your high horse!", the Feathered Serpent sneered at her, his plumed tail erratically coiling at his feet. His lips drew back in a humorless grin, revealing a row of unsettlingly pointy fangs underneath. "Otherwise you might break your neck when you fall", he stated ominously. 

Nefertiti could not help but snort in amusment. "And who should replace me? _You_?", she taunted him, not even trying to suppress another haughty laugh. On the brink of losing both his temper and his patience with her, Quetzalcoatl took another step towards her, closing the safe distance between them. He was not certain what he would have done if the infant had not suddenly broken out in tears with a distressed wail, making him immediately withdraw from her again. She gave him a knowing smile before nuzzling against her son's neck, lulling him back to sleep with soft cooing sounds. The Feathered Serpent visibly frowned at this sight.

As much as he despised her, he could not accuse her of being a bad mother; and perhaps he hated her even more for it.

"I am not as oblivious as my husband is", Nefertiti stated in a hushed voice, still rocking her child gently in her arms. But when she looked back at the Feathered Serpent her tone turned sour, every word sounding like an insult when she snarled in disgust: "In contrast to him I have noticed the way you look at him."

Quetzalcoatl's face instantly went pale. He opened his mouth to disagree, but she cut him off before he could utter a single word in his defense: "And I can assure you that not even in a million years he is going to f-"

"You two cannot even stop arguing when I lie on my deathbed, can you?"

For a moment both of them stopped dead in their tracks. Nefertiti threw a reluctant glance past the other Elder's head and over to Aten's bedside. Instantly her eyes went wide in recognition. Without saying another word, she pushed the infant into the Feather Serpent's arms with gentle force. At first he tried squirming away from the child, but she kept asserting on him holding the boy with such vigor that he had no other choice but to give in eventually. As soon as he did, she stormed past him, literally shooing him out of her way. If he had not been for him holding her child, she probably would have pushed him aside.

The infant stared up to him with big, round eyes. Choking heavily, Quetzalcoatl held him at an arm length from his body. Dangling in the air like this, the baby instantly burst out into bubbling laughter. The Feathered Serpent sighed softly.

"Me and the children were so worried about you, my dear", he heard Nefertiti say behind his back - her voice almost nauseatingly sweet - and instantly rolled his eyes at her words. They were just as false and empty as they always were. Finally throwing a sidelong gaze over his shoulder, Quetzalcoatl could not help but grimace.

Holding Aten's head tightly locked between her palms, Nefertiti pressed her mouth against his hard. Just for a moment when her eyes met the Feathered Serpent's he could have sworn that a faint of a triumphant smirk crept over her lips. Aten on the other hand looked visibly uncomfortable in his own skin. Furrowing his brows at her reaction, the Sun Disk exchanged a helpless glance with the other Elder, but Quetzalcoatl could not do much more than shrug sympathetically in the background.

Almost clumsily the Sun Disk seized his wife by her shoulders and pushed her off from him again with gentle force. She tried leaning forward to him again, but immediately was blocked off by another hand emerging in front of her face. "May I speak to my high steward for a moment?", Aten asked awkwardly and tried smiling at her in apology, but in the end it merely looked forced. Her face immediately fell.

"Of course", Nefertiti replied, simpering at him gently, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. As soon as she turned away from her husband again, her features twisted into a disappointed scowl. Wordlessly Quetzalcoatl extended her child towards her, barely able to suppress a sardonic cuckle. Turning her gaze toward the Feathered Serpent, her eyes went vivid with anger, but there was also something else reflected inside them; a faint of insecurity. 

Perhaps a million years was not as far away as she had expected it to be.

A scornful huff escaped her nose and Nefertiti literally ripped her son out off Quetzalcoatl's grasp. "Smugness does not suit you", she hissed into his ear, "We both know you do not stand a chance with him in the long run." Clutching her son, who by now has started fussing again, close to her chest, she rushed outside the room without further ado. The door snapped shut behind her with a loud bang. Snidely the Feathered Serpent waved her goodbye.

"You should at least _try_ to get along with her", the Sun Disk scolded him half-heartedly, raising his brows in amusement nonetheless. Waiting until the other Elder had taken his seat at Aten's bedside again, he weakly extended one of his many hands⁴ towards Quetzalcoatl. He clutched it in his own immediately. 

"I doubt this will happen any time soon", the Feathered Serpent replied smugly, a faint of a smirk playing around the corners of his mouth. Absentmindedly his fingers traced over the other Elder's knuckles, making him suddenly realize how pale the Sun Disk's skin has turned. His smile instantly faltered. 

For a moment the image of golden ichor pouring out of Aten's nose and mouth flashed inside his head again. He swallowed heavily. "How are you feeling?", Quetzalcoatl wondered, watching the other Elder's tired features intently. His voice was thick with genuine worry.

The Sun Disk sighed deeply. "Like I was run over with a chariot", he admitted and attempted to chuckle, but a severe cough instantly ruptured through his whole body. Quetzalcoatl wanted to jump to his feet, but Aten grabbed him by his arm, forcing him to sit down again. He needed a moment before he could compose himself again and exhaustedly sank back into bed as the coughing fit finally wore off. 

"It was in the wine, wasn't it?", the Sun Disk croaked weakly.

The Feathered Serpent nodded slightly. "Iron powder", he confirmed grimly, his features immediately twisting into a frown. Quetzalcoatl could still not quite explain to himself how the culprits had been able to get past the guards, let alone past the tasters. It alarmed him, greatly so. If he was unable to mend this leak in their security system, then it would certainly happen again. 

And who knows what outcome a next attempt on Aten's life would have.

Noticing the other Elder's expression darken, the Sun Disk could not help but furrow his brows in concern as well. "How are the others?", Aten asked reluctantly. His voice sounded as sober as ever, but it was all too obvious that he was not calm at all, quite the contrary even.

For a while Quetzalcoatl was unsure how to reply to this question, making him visibly pause. Briefly the sound of his tail nervously tapping against the floor was the only noise filling the room. "Three are dead and two more are still in a critical condition", he stated hesitantly, but immediately regretted this decision as soon as he saw Aten's face being drained of all its color. The Sun Disk went awfully quiet, pressing his lips shut into a thin, bloodless line. 

"It was not your fault", the Feathered Serpent assured him, giving his hand a small, consoling squeeze. "In fact", he added hoarsely, his throat suddenly feeling terribly dry, "the physicans were not sure whether you would make it either for a while".

The Sun Disk exhaled heavily at this words, closing his eyes for a moment as he reluctantly started to nod. "I know", Aten agreed. Weakly he returned the squeeze of his hand, forcing a small smile. 

"Let me guess", the Sun Disk wondered and tilted his head to the side, just like he always does when questioning the other Elder's poor life choices, "You threatened these unfortunate Humani with a gruesome death if I would not make it."

"Obviously", the Feathered Serpent confirmed deadpan.

Aten could not help but snort softly in reply, the color slowly returning to his cheeks. "You are insufferable", he simply stated, but coming from him it actually sounded more like an compliment than a genuine complaint.

"I did warn you the first time we met, didn't I?", Quetzalcoatl said mischievously, making the Sun Disk roll his eyes in mild amusement. But then Aten's glance briefly strayed behind the other Elder and towards the closed bedroom door, his expression going blank as a sudden suspicion dawned on him.

"Do you think _she_ had anything to do with the attempt on my life?", he pondered sternly and exchanged a knowing look with the Feathered Serpent. Aten did not need to explain any further whom he meant by "she". It almost seemed like Nefertiti was even breathing down their necks when she was not present.

Quetzalcoatl parted his lips to reply, but suddenly noticed a faint noise coming from the other side of the door, making his ears perk up. Judging by his reaction, so did Aten, who furrowed his brows in confusion. Putting one finger against his mouth, the Feathered Serpent carefully crept towards the entrance to the royal bedchamber, only to tear it open in an abrupt motion. 

A very startled servant, who probably has held his ear pressed against the door ever since the queen had left the room, stumbled inside, immediately bumping into the Feathered Serpent's chest. His face went ashen when he looked upwards, only to be greeted by a set of sharp canine teeth. The boy tried to take to his heel's but was promised sized by the collar. A surprised yelp escaped him as he was lifted several inches above the ground, the tips of his feet grazing over the floor.

"Let him go", Aten demanded drily, rubbing one hand of his many hands over his exhausted features, "he does not know anything worth telling her anyway." Pursing his lips in disappointment, Quetzalcoatl's grip around the servant's shirt promptly unfastened again, sending him plummeting to the floor with a loud thud. For a moment the boy sat there like paralyzed, his eyes wide in fear. It only took a throaty snarl from the Feathered Serpent for him to turn tail and flee. 

Huffing loudly in annoyance, Quetzalcoatl slammed the door shut behind him with a swift movement of his tail. "After witnessing this?", he noted, vaguely gesturing in the direction the servant had run off to, "I would not put it past her that she was involved in the plot."

"She has the right mindset and the resources for such an endeavor", the Feathered Serpent continued, counting each new point on his clawed fingers, "In addition, she was the only person who did not drink any of the wine either, but of course I cannot proof anything." 

Irritatedly the Feathered Serpent crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Quiet frankly, if I were you, I would have divorced her ages ago, or even better, would have got an annulment", he finally concluded.

"You do not understand that", Aten argued, putting him off with a dismissive wave of his hand, "You have never been married."

Quetzalcoatl could not help but let a humorless laugh escape his mouth. 

He hated it when the other Elder tried to stifle a conversation with this argument. A bad match was simply a bad match. He did not need to have any experience in being married to be able to recognize one. In fact, every person with a little common sense could come to this conclusion. To him Aten and Nefertiti were the living proof that arranged marriages did not work out at all. In a way he was almost glad that he had been of no further importance in his youth, otherwise he might have been forced into one as well. 

"With all due respect, Aten", the Feathered Serpent noted, stabbing one finger into the Sun Disk's chest, and started erratically pacing around the room, "You cannot stand her and it is all too obvious that this is a mutual feeling."

"In fact, if _that_ is how the ideal marriage looks like", Quetzalcoatl added, wrinkling his nose at the mere idea of it, and turned around to face the other Elder again, "then I prefer staying a bachelor. Thank you very much."

For a moment the Sun Disk merely blinked in confusion, looking visibly stunned by this lecture. "Well", he eventually suggested and raised his brows, "you could find the right woman if you wanted to."

The Feathered Serpent immediately tensed up in reply. Silently he bit his lower lip, his jaw uncomfortably set. He did not know how to respond to that for the most obvious reasons. After all the main reason was sitting right in front of him.

The room filled with awkward silence and uncomfortable stares. "I did not mean to-", Aten attempted to say, but he was cut off in mid-sentence by the other Elder.

"I know", the Feathered Serpent simply replied, smiling almost sadly to himself.

Another long pause followed. The tension has started getting so thick that you could cut it with a knife. "Quetzalcoatl?", Aten eventually uttered, his voice heavy with concern.

"Yes?"

The Sun Disk hesitated for a moment, visibly struggling to find the right words to continue. His lips slightly parted, but when he tried to speak his expression suddenly changed again, a pang of anxiety flashing over his features. "You said that Nefertiti was the only person who did not drink from the wine", he asked hoarsely, "Did I understand this correctly?"

"I did", Quetzalcoatl replied, furrowing his brows in confusion at this question, "Why are you asking?"

The Sun Disk immediately froze. "This means you must have had some as well", he rasped.

The Feathered Serpent chuckled nervously. "I am not certain what you are trying to-", he started, but was promptly choked off by his own hubris. Suddenly he could feel a uncomfortable dampness spreading underneath his nose. Irritatedly he pressed the heel of his palm against the sore spot, but when he withdrew it again after a while, a black, greasy fluid was sticking to his fingers. For a moment he could not help but stare blankly at the inside of his hand. Only then he seemed to realize that this was actually his own blood. 

Groaning loudly, he threw his head back in a weak attempt to stop the bleeding. "Not again", he muttered faintly.

" _Again_?", Aten blurted out in bewilderment and tried to get up, but his arms broke away underneath him before he managed to do so, making him curse sharply under his breath. The blood was by now literally streaming out of the other Elder's nose, yet Quetzalcoatl still tried to downplay this fact, simply pressing the sleeve of his shirt against it until the cloth was soaked in black.

"I am fine. It is just-"

"This is not fine!", the Sun Disk snarled and grabbed the Feathered Serpent by his wrist, pulling him so close that their noses were almost touching. "Three people are already dead and I do not want to make four out of it", he continued, his voice literally shaking with anger. Despite the fact that he was literally yelling at the other Elder, Aten's features slightly softened, almost taking on a pleading expression. He sounded awfully sore when he finally added: "Least of all you."

Carefully, the Sun Disk wiped another streak of blood away from underneath his nose with his thumb. He could not help but shake his head at so much stubbornness. "I beg of you, go see a physician", he implored him, gently cupping one side of the Feathered Serpent's face, "And if you do not want to do it for your own sake do it for mine."

At first Quetzalcoatl wanted to protest, grimacing slightly, but as soon as he looked into Aten's face he was not able to do much else but reluctantly nod in agreement. "Good", the Sun Disk sighed softly and put one hand on the back of his head, pulling his face in to press his forehead against the Feathered Serpent's, "You really need to stop acting so recklessly. This is going to get you killed someday."

"If I die, I die", the Feathered Serpent replied quietly, looking at the other Elder through half-open lashes.

Immediately a dark shadow was cast over Aten's expression. "Never imply anything even remotely related to this ever again in my presence", he uttered grimly, almost making it sound like a threat, before letting go of Quetzalcoatl's face again. "And now go, seriously", the Sun Disk added, pushing the other Elder backwards again with gentle force, "Or do I have to order you to?"

"Fine!", Quetzalcoatl huffed, raising his hands up in the air in defeat. He took a low, dramatic bow in front of the other Elder, making Aten roll his eyes in amusement, before pressing a brief kiss against his knuckles, just according to the etiquette. For a moment the Feathered Serpent paused in the doorframe, looking back to the the other Elder, who expectantly raised one brow at him. Cracking a small smile and only vaguely pressing the back of his hand against his nose again, he departed for good.

As soon as the door fell shut, Aten let himself sink back into bed with a deep sigh. Delicately his fingers trailed over the back of his hand. A faint of a smile crept over the Sun Disk's lips. He was certain the sun will shine on them again.

"Idiot."

**Author's Note:**

> ¹ Akhetaten was the contemporary name of Amarna, the capital of Kemet during the eponymous Amarna Period (ca. 1353 - ca. 1332 BC). This period of time covered the reigns of the pharaohs Akhenaten (ca. 1373 - ca. 1336 BC), who is the same person as Aten in the SINF canon, and Neferneferuaten.
> 
> ² Nefertiti (ca. 1370 - ca. 1332 BC) was the Great Royal Wife and consequently queen consort of the historical pharaoh Akhenaten, thus, probably also making her Aten's wife in the SINF canon. Historically she changed her name to Neferneferuaten during the late reign of her husband and most likely succeeded him as pharaoh herself (ca. 1336 - ca. 1332 BC).
> 
> ³ In real life Akhenaten and Nefertiti had at least six daughters but apparently no sons. Since pharaoh Tutankhamun (ca. 1342 - ca. 1323 BC) is canonically Aten's son but probably not historically Nefertiti's, I simply ignored the latter fact for the sake of continuity.
> 
> ⁴ The Aten, the Kemetic sun disk, is commonly depicted as having several arms, mimicking the rays of the sun. This makes it likely that Aten received a similar appearance in the SINF canon after the Change.


End file.
